Rnd to barbaric animal testing
To the Editor,
I’m writing about the development of the many bio labs – animal testing sites planned for Revere and surrounding cities.
These high risk labs are being built outside of Boston in residential areas and most people are not aware. Dangerous pathogens and chemicals are handled in these types of laboratories. They also conduct cruel and inhumane animal testing that can include cats and dogs. Massachusetts has conducted research on and killed 9000 beagles.
There was a level 3 bio lab animal testing site planned for Suffolk Downs, Revere. It could have included research on cats, dogs, rabbits and primates. Due to opposition from residents, the city agreed to reduce it (for now) to a level 2 bio lab with restrictions on animal testing to rodents (guinea pigs, ferrets, mice and rats) which is no less cruel and inhumane. There are alternative and more effective methods of conducting research that do not involve animals.
Boston University just became a level 4 bio lab. They will be handling the most dangerous pathogens in the world. (Wuhan is level 4)
Bio labs are also planned for Natick, Chelsea, Everett and Lynn as well as other cities in Massachusetts. They go under the pretty title “life science buildings” in order to not be transparent.
You may have heard the story of the 4000 beagles that recently got rescued from a facility that sells to research labs. (100 of them ended up in the shelter in Salem)
100 million animals are tortured and killed in research labs every year in the U.S.. Massachusetts is a big offender.
Let’s keep in mind, Covid-19 was originally made dangerous in a level 3 bio lab at the University of North Carolina. Obama placed a moratorium on the gain-of-function research because it was dangerous. Instead of stopping, they offshored it to Wuhan, funded by NIH with tax payer dollars.
We need to put an end to barbaric animal testing in Massachusetts and restrict bio labs to a level 1 or 2 in nonresidential areas.
Kathy Belleau